NPR: Statue of Liberty Moves to Kearney, Nebraska

Statue of Liberty Moves to Kearney, Nebraska

workers install 8-foot statue of liberty

Volunteers help the statue lift her soon-to-be-golden lamp.

Brad Norton, courtesy of Kearney (Neb.) Hub

Something about tired, poor, wretched masses yearning to breathe free really touches me. All four of my grandparents were immigrants from Poland and Latvia. I like the idea of the green lady watching over them -- and steerage passengers from all over -- as they pulled into New York Harbor nearly 100 years ago.

I climbed up to her torch when I was a kid. And, a few years ago, I got to prowl around her island after hours with a friend who was working for the National Park Service.

But, there's more than one Statue of Liberty. Plastic versions welcome tourists to Manhattan souvenir shops. There used to be a metallic blue, duct-taped version in front a Brooklyn hardware store near my house. I'm still mourning a crown that graced the top of a funky, now defunct, downtown restaurant.

Still, there's hope. Turns out I'm not the only extreme fan of the Statue of Liberty.

This week, thanks to a man named Ward Schrack, an eight-foot-tall statue was erected as part of a Veterans Memorial in Kearney, Nebraska.

Schrack is a longtime member of the Boy Scouts, but 57 years ago, when the organization celebrated its 40th anniversary by putting up aluminum lady liberties around the country, he missed out. A few years ago, Schrack found a liberty statue in Missouri and enlisted local scouts to raise funds to transport the statue, which had a dedication ceremony last night.

And, yes, the torch will light up.

Laura Silver

8:31 AM ET | 07- 4-2008 | permalink

Comments

I just love last month's news that Bush gave Sarkozy stamps featuring the Statue of Liberty :)

Sent by Addis | 9:57 AM ET | 07-06-2008

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